The story of the NUTS! reply | Article | The United States Army The story of the NUTS! reply By Kenneth J. McAuliffe, Jr.December 12, 2012 1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL 3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe and his staff gathered inside Bastogne's Heintz Barracks for Christmas dinner Dec. 25th, 1944. This military barracks served as the Division Main Command Post during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium during WWII. The facility is now a museum known as the "Nuts Cave". (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL On December 22, 1944, at about 11:30 in the morning, a group of four German soldiers, waving two white flags, approached the American lines using the Arlon Road from the direction of Remoifosse, south of Bastogne. The group consisted of two officers and two enlisted men.

The senior officer was a Major Wagner of the 47th Panzer Corps. The junior officer, Lt. Hellmuth Henke of the Panzer Lehr Operations Section, was carrying a briefcase under his arm. The two enlisted men had been selected from the 901st Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The Americans defending in that location were members of F Company of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. The Germans walked past a bazooka team in a foxhole in front of the Kessler farm and stopped in front of the foxhole of PFC Leo Palma, a B.A.R. gunner. Palma described the officers as wearing long overcoats and shiny black boots. Lieutenant Henke, who spoke English said, "I want to see the commanding officer of this section." Palma was at a loss for words, but Staff Sergeant Carl E. Dickinson who had been manning a position nearby walked out to the road and called the group over to him. The Germans explained that they had a written message to be presented to the American Commander in Bastogne. Henke said they would consent to being blindfolded and taken to the American Commanding Officer.

In fact, they had brought blindfolds with them. Henke blindfolded Wagner and Dickinson blindfolded Henke. As the blindfolds were being applied, Dickinson was joined by PFC Ernest Premetz, a German-speaking medic of his platoon who offered to serve as an interpreter. However no interpreter was needed. Dickinson and Premetz left the two German enlisted men there and took the two German officers to the Kessler farmhouse. Tech. Sgt. Oswald Y. Butler, Acting Platoon Leader of the 1st Platoon, and Lt. Leslie E. Smith, Platoon Leader of the Weapons Platoon, told them to take the blindfolded officers to the F Company Command Post. They took the two German officers on a roundabout route to the Command Post of F Company, 327th GIR, which was a large foxhole located in a wooded area about a quarter mile away. Shortly after arriving at the command post, they were joined by Capt. James F. Adams, the F Company Commander, who had been at a forward observation post when he was notified of the arrival of the Germans. When Adams arrived, 1st Sgt. Constantine A.

Pappas informed him that the German major had already presented a written message. The F Company Executive Officer, Lt. William J. Herzke, was on the phone, reading the message to their Battalion Command Post in Marvie. The 2nd Battalion Command Post then notified the 327th Regimental Headquarters in Bastogne. Col. Bud Harper, the 327th Regimental Commander, was not there; he was out inspecting his unit's positions. The senior officer present was the Regimental Operations Officer, Major Alvin Jones. Maj. Jones notified the Division Headquarters in Bastogne and asked for instructions. He was told to retrieve the message and bring it to the Division Headquarters. He drove to the F Company Command Post and was given the message. The two blindfolded officers were kept in the woods adjacent to the foxhole Command Post. Upon receiving Maj. Jones' phone call at Division Headquarters, the Acting Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Ned Moore entered Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe's sleeping quarters adjacent to the communications center. Moore wakened McAulliffe and told him, "The Germans have sent some people forward to take our surrender." Moore recalled that Brig.

Gen. McAuliffe, still half asleep, said "Nuts!" and started to climb out of his sleeping bag. Moore then went back out into the Communications Center where he briefed the rest of the Division staff of the on-going situation, including telling them of McAulliffe's remark of "Nuts!" When Maj. Jones arrived with the message, the staff looked at it before taking it in to McAulliffe. The German surrender demand was typewritten on two sheets. One was in English, the other in German. They had been typed on an English typewriter as indicated by the fact that the diacritical marks required on the German copy had been entered by hand. This is the English version of the message: "December 22nd 1944 To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne. The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.

There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note. If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours' term. All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the wellknown American humanity. The German Commander." The Division Operations Officer, Lt. Col. Harry Kinnard recalled that McAulliffe initially asked, "They want to surrender?" Moore told him, "No sir, they want us to surrender." McAulliffe arose and erupted in anger, which shocked those looking on. He took the paper, looked at it, said "Us surrender, aw nuts!" and dropped it on the floor. Maj. Jones was dismissed. McAulliffe then left the Headquarters to go congratulate a unit on the Western perimeter that had successfully taken out a German road block earlier that morning.

When Jones left the Headquarters, he went back to the F Company Command Post and spoke with the two German officers. When he returned to his Regimental Headquarters, he phoned the division headquarters. Upon returning to the division headquarters, McAulliffe was informed that Jones had phoned to say that the two German officers were still waiting at the F Company Command Post. Since they brought a formal demand they felt they were entitled to a formal reply and they were to return to the German lines two hours after delivering their message. McAulliffe asked that Col. Harper be summoned to the Division Headquarters. Harper, who was still inspecting his units' positions, was contacted by radio. When Harper arrived at the Headquarters, he was asked to wait outside of the closed door to McAulliffe's quarters.

Inside, in the presence of his staff, McAulliffe wondered aloud, "Well, I don't know what to tell them." At that point, Kinnard said, "What you said initially would be hard to beat." McAulliffe asked "What do you mean?" Kinnard, said, "Sir, you said nuts." All members of the staff enthusiastically agreed, so McAulliffe wrote it down on a message pad and said, "Have it typed up." The reply was typed up, centered on a full sheet of paper. It read: "December 22, 1944 N U T S ! The American Commander" McAulliffe dismissed the staff and asked that Harper come in. McAulliffe initially toyed with him by having him stand in front of Higgins and himself. McAulliffe showed him the surrender demand and asked if he had already seen it. Harper said no. McAulliffe asked him to read it and suggest how it should be answered. Harper was surprised by the request and quickly tried to draft a reply in his head. At that moment, a clerk-typist entered the room and handed McAulliffe a sheet of paper.

He looked at it and then showed Harper the typed "NUTS" reply, asking him if he thought that was a proper reply. Harper read it and started laughing. McAulliffe asked Harper to personally deliver the reply to the Germans, cautioning him not to go into the German lines. Harper took the reply and drove to the F Company Command Post. Harper told Henke that he had the American Commander's reply. Henke asked if it was written or verbal. Harper answered it was written and he put it in the hand of the blindfolded German Major. Henke asked about the contents of the reply because if it was affirmative, they were authorized to negotiate further. Harper said, "The reply consists of a single word, NUTS!" Henke, not understanding, asked, "Is that reply negative or affirmative?" Harper said, "The reply is decidedly not affirmative", adding, "If you continue this foolish attack, your losses will be tremendous." Henke translated for the Major. The Major nodded. The two blindfolded German officers were then driven, again by a roundabout route, back to their entry point at the Kessler farm.

At the farm, the group was rejoined by PFC Premetz. The blindfolds were removed and the Germans opened and looked at the reply. They asked, "What does this mean?" They obviously didn't understand the American slang. Harper and Premetz discussed how to explain it. Harper suggested, "Tell them to take a flying s**t!" Premetz thought about it, then straightened up, faced the Germans and said, "Du kannst zum Teufel gehen." He told Harper it meant "You can go to Hell." Then Harper said, "If you continue to attack, we will kill every goddamn German that tries to break into this city." Henke replied, "We will kill many Americans. This is war." Harper then said, "On your way Bud, and good luck to you." After Henke translated, the major acknowledged. They saluted and the Germans started to walk away. Harper angrily called out to them, "If you don't know what I am talking about, simply go back to your commanding officer and tell him to just plain, 'Go to Hell'." After Henke translated, the major got angry and stormed off.

As he passed Palma's position, he threw his blindfold and Palma caught it. Palma wrote that he didn't realize the historical importance of that blindfold. He later used it to clean his B.A.R. and threw it away! The German party returned to their lines. Capt. Adams recorded the time as 1400 hours. While watching the Germans leaving, Harper began to regret losing his temper, fearing that his attitude may increase the intensity of the attack on his positions. Fortunately, the threatened artillery barrage never happened. Instead, the German Luftwaffe was added to the attack, bombing the town at night. According to a narrative written by Hellmuth Henke, when the German officers returned to their vehicle, while they were putting their pistol belts back on, Maj. Wagner removed his pistol from his trouser pocket and placed it in its holster, stating that he wasn't going to get caught without protection. The two German officers then drove to the 901st Panzer Grenadier Regimental headquarters in Lutrebois. After reporting in, they left to go to the Panzer Lehr Division headquarters located about a mile further south.

Just before reaching the Panzer Lehr Headquarters, they saw the car of General von Manteuffel parked by a thicket of trees. Maj. Wagner stopped and reported to the General. They then proceeded to the Panzer Lehr headquarters. General von Luettwitz, the Corps Commander, happened to be there. They presented the "NUTS" reply. Upon hearing the negative reply, General Bayerlein, said it was time to start striking out with the heavy artillery located behind the hill. He was interrupted by General von Luettwitz who stated that the heavy artillery was no longer located there, it had been moved to forward positions past Bastogne. Bayerlein then started to explain how he would attack Bastogne without the heavy artillery, but was again interrupted by von Luettwitz. Von Luettwitz reminded Bayerlein that Bastogne was not his objective and ordered the Panzer Lehr Division to proceed around Bastogne to Rochefort and leave Bastogne to the 26th Volksgrenadier Division.

Editors Note: This story retraces the events of December 22nd, 1944 at Bastogne, Belgium; the day we received German surrender ultimatum and issued the subsequent "Nuts!" reply. Its author, Kenneth J. McAuliffe, Jr., is the nephew of Brig. Gen. Anthony 'Tony' McAuliffe who commanded the Division during the defense of Bastogne. This has been verified to be100% accurate. Last revised on January 11, 2012. RELATED LINKS "NUTS!" Revisited "NUTS!" Revisited An Interview with Lt. General Harry W. O. Kinnard On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched their largest offensive of the war on the Western Front. The primary goals of the offensive were to capture the Belgian port of Antwerp and to drive a wedge between the British and American armies. This offensive is often referred to as the "Battle of the Bulge." It's failure was due largely to American resistance around St. Vith, on the northern shoulder of the Bulge, and by American forces holding Bastogne on the southern shoulder of the Bulge.

The town of Bastogne is strategically located at the center of the road network of the Ardennes. The Germans referred to it as a "road octopus" since the majority of roads in that region of the Ardennes pass through the town. The town's strategic location made it vitally important to the outcome of the offensive. The Allies realized its importance and General Eisenhower dispatched the 101st Airborne Division to hold the town at all costs. This victory resulted in the first full Army Division Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation. This interview focuses on the story surrounding the German's request for the American forces at Bastogne to surrender and the American General's response as witnessed by Lt. General Harry Kinnard, at the time of the siege of Bastogne, a Lt. Col. and Division G-3. These are some of his personal recollections. We got into Bastogne late on the night of 18 December, 1944. We were not well equipped, having just gotten out of combat in Holland. We were particularly short of winter clothing and footwear. On the 21st of December we became completely surrounded by Germans and our field hospital was overrun by a German attack.

We had put the hospital in what would normally have been a safe place, but no place is safe when you are completely surrounded. At this time, we were not able to receive air resupply because the weather was absolutely frightful. It was very, very cold and snowy. Visibility was often measured in yards. Our lack of winter gear was partially offset by the citizens of Bastogne who gave us blankets and white linens that we used for camouflage. While we were still surrounded, on the morning of December 22, a German surrender party, consisting of two officers and two NCOs, and carrying a white flag, approached our perimeter in the area of our Glider Regiment, the 327th. The party was taken to a nearby platoon command post. While the enlisted men were detained the officers were blind folded and taken to the command post of the 327th where they presented their surrender ultimatum. The ultimatum in essence said the 101st's position was hopeless and that if we elected not to surrender a lot of bad things would happen. The message was brought in to the Division Headquarters by Major Alvin Jones, the S-3, and Colonel Harper, the Regimental Commander.

They brought the message to me, the G-3 and Paul Danahy, the G-2. My first reaction was that this was a German ruse, designed to get our men out of their fox holes. But be that as it might, we agreed that we needed to take the message up the line. We took it first to the acting Chief of Staff of the Division, Lt. Col. Ned Moore. With him, we took the message to the acting Division Commander General Tony McAuliffe. Moore told General McAuliffe that we had a German surrender ultimatum. The General's first reaction was that the Germans wanted to surrender to us. Col. Moore quickly disabused him of that notion and explained that the German's demanded our surrender. When McAuliffe heard that he laughed and said: "Us surrender? Aw, nuts!" the date was December 22nd, 1944 To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne. The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units.

More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note. If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours' term. All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity. The German Commander. But then McAuliffe realized that some sort of reply was in order.

He pondered for a few minutes and then told the staff, "Well I don't know what to tell them." He then asked the staff what they thought, and I spoke up, saying, "That first remark of yours would be hard to beat." McAuliffe said, "What do you mean?" I answered, "Sir, you said 'Nuts'." All members of the staff enthusiastically agreed, and McAuliffe decided to send that one word, "Nuts!" back to the Germans. McAuliffe then wrote down: "To the German Commander, "Nuts!" The American Commander." McAuliffe then asked Col. Harper to deliver the message to the Germans. Harper took the typed message back to the company command post where the two German officers were detained. Harper then told the Germans that he had the American commanders reply. The German captain then asked, "Is it written or verbal?" Harper responded that it was written and added, "I will place it in your hand." General Anthony McAuliffe taken on December 27th, 1944 The German major then asked, "Is the reply negative or affirmative?

If it is the latter I will negotiate further." At this time the Germans were acting in an arrogant and patronizing manner and Harper, who was starting to lose his temper, responded, "The reply is decidedly not affirmative." He then added that, "If you continue your foolish attack your losses will be tremendous." Harper then put the German officers in a jeep and took them back to where the German enlisted men were detained. He then said to the German captain, "If you don't know what 'Nuts' means, in plain English it is the same as 'Go to Hell'. And I'll tell you something else, if you continue to attack we will kill every goddam German that tries to break into this city." The German major and captain saluted very stiffly. The captain said, "We will kill many Americans. This is war." Harper then responded, "On your way Bud," he then said, "and good luck to you." Harper later told me he always regretted wishing them good luck. Sources: Interview with General Harry O. Kinnard by Patrick O'Donnell Rendezvous with Destiny,Rapport & Northwood The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, George Koskimaki.

Photo through Kenneth McAuliffe National Archives Remembers Battle of the Bulge with Featured Document Display | National Archives National Archives Remembers Battle of the Bulge with Featured Document Display Press Release · Monday, January 5, 2015 Washington, DC Marks 70th Anniversary of Battle and presents unique “NUTS” Christmas message to the troops More Information William G. McGowan Theater Washington, DC…To mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the National Archives Museum shares an unusual original holiday message from General Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, to his troops. On Christmas Eve, 1944, the 101st Airborne was besieged by German forces in the small Belgium town of Bastogne. General McAuliffe used this message to rally his troops by recounting his now famous “NUTS!” reply to a German surrender demand. Free and open to the public, the display is located in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Museum and runs through January 5, 2015. The Museum is on the National Mall at Constitution and 9th St., NW.

Background By December 1944, Allied generals felt confident that victory over Nazi Germany was near. Their armies had raced across France and were now approaching the Rhine River. No one thought the German Army could launch such a large-scale winter offensive. The generals were spectacularly wrong. On December 16, more than 200,000 German troops and 1,000 tanks attacked along a 75-mile front through Belgiums snowy Ardennes forest. As the Germans advanced, they created a “bulge” in the American lines. American soldiers resisted fiercely, but failed to stop the Germans. They did, however, delay them at several key road junctions. The most celebrated of these defensive actions came at the town of Bastogne where troops from the 101st Airborne Division and elements of other units were besieged. On December 22, German officers under a flag of truce approached the American lines demanding Bastognes surrender. After reading the demand, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, the American commander in Bastogne, remarked, “Aw, nuts!” Further discussion failed to improve on his first reaction, and “NUTS!” became his famous one-word response.

When the Germans failed to understand, an American officer explained, “in plain English it is the same as 'Go to hell!” General McAuliffes December 24th “Christmas Message” to the men of the 101st recounts the German surrender demand, McAuliffes reply, and informs them of an American counterattack. And help was on the way. On December 26, after moving over 100 miles in five days, the 4th Armored Divisions 37th Tank Battalion relieved Bastogne. By mid-January 1945, Allied troops eliminated the bulge, but at a high cost. The U.S. Army had suffered over 75,000 casualties. The display includes the following records: Original “Merry Christmas” message to the 101st Airborne Division from Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, December 24, 1944.

National Archives, Records of the Adjutant Generals Office A photo captioned: “While enemy shells scream overhead outside, Christmas carols are sung by members of the 101st Airborne Division, under siege in Bastogne, Belgium, during 1944 midnight Christmas service. Shortly after this photo was taken enemy bombers broke up the service.” December 24, 1944, National Archives, Records of the Chief Signal Officer A map titled: “Situation 1200 hours 25 December 1944 Twelfth Army Group” that illustrates the bulge caused by the German advance. National Archives, Records of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World War II Related film program: The Battle of the Bulge Tuesday, December 16, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater The National Archives will present the film The Battle of the Bulge a compelling chronicle of this bloody battle that includes newsreel footage and film from German and American archives. (2004; 90 mins.) Online resources: Battle of the Bulge: Did McAuliffe really reply "Nuts"?

- Western Europe 1943 - 1945 - WWII Forums → Western Europe 1943 - 1945 We Need Your Help - Become a Site Supporter For 16 years we've been delivering WWII discussion and research, help support our efforts for the next 16 years. Become a WW2 Forums Patron ! Battle of the Bulge: Did McAuliffe really reply "Nuts"? Started by Hey Moe! , Dec 08 2010 01:18 AM Please log in to reply 16 replies to this topic Posted 08 December 2010 - 01:18 AM Back in high school, I had a 12th grade history teacher who chuckled about the "Nuts" reply to the German's surrender demand. He didn't tell us what was actually said, but implied it had to be cleaned up by the press. 15 years later, a fellow who had been a 1st Lt. who was wounded and recovered as a POW told me pretty much the same story. Pretty trivial but has anyone ever heard this? I've been curious all these years...

Posted 08 December 2010 - 01:33 AM From the quick research I've just done, it seems that "Nuts" is exactly what McAuliffe replied. See the following two sites for confirmation. Google Mcauliffe nuts and you will find numerous references to the origin of the answer. Lou 20 posts Posted 08 December 2010 - 02:51 AM Colonel Joseph Harper, who delivered the message to the Germans then told the German runner that it meant, "Go to hell!". You know, just so there wouldn't be any confusion. Apparently, McAuliffe said, "Aw, nuts!" as his original reply. He was trying to think of something really bitter and defiant to send back. Lieutenant Colonel Harry Kinnard said, "That first crack you made would be hard to beat." Just read about this earlier today. Source:Delivered From Evil by Robert Leckie lwd likes this Posted 08 December 2010 - 07:35 AM It's fair to say that it's 99.99% certain that McAuliffe actually did say it.

I've read various books where the authors have researched the question quite hard and all have concluded that this is indeed a WWII 'tall tale' which is quite true..... "Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson Posted 08 December 2010 - 03:41 PM That version (humancertainty's) makes a lot of sense and operates on several levels as well. Posted 08 December 2010 - 05:52 PM That version (humancertainty's) makes a lot of sense and operates on several levels as well. Agreed. Probably the average Joe heard the scuttlebut version as "Go to Hell!" and assumed it was cleaned up by the press. 40 posts Posted 08 December 2010 - 06:16 PM Agreed. Probably the average Joe heard the scuttlebut version as "Go to Hell!" and assumed it was cleaned up by the press. Evidently "Nuts" was something of a low-level expletive back then. Patton said it was the only expletive he didn't use (presumably not colorful enough).

"Regret trouble I am causing you." -- George Patton to Dwight Eisenhower, November 25, 1943 Posted 08 December 2010 - 11:19 PM I like the 'aw, nuts' possibility. Personally, I never understood why people were always so tickled when the narrator gets to the part where he talks about the reply and spits out the word "Nuts!". Posted 09 December 2010 - 02:17 PM Evidently "Nuts" was something of a low-level expletive back then..... It was used at times to refer to certain paired structures on the male anatomy. Posted 10 December 2010 - 04:57 PM At least one of his staff officer stated that McAuliffe's response was less out of spite than sheer amusement; his paratroopers had been hammering the Germans all day and he had just returned from a tour of the front, giving the talk and awarding medals to soldiers. He genuinely felt the demand for 101st's surrender was inappropriate and funny in light of the military situation. Maybe he was even offended.

Posted 12 December 2010 - 09:05 AM McAuliffe's famous reply seems in keeping with his persona. He tended to present a straightforward character and didn't communicate with military formality. Another example is the moment when Bastogne was relieved ; when the 4th AD's CCR made it through, Captain William Dwight presented himself to McAuliffe and, with a brisk salute, asked : 'How are you, General ?'. McAuliffe's recorded reply was 'Gee - I am mighty glad to see you !' I've always personally thought that McAuliffe did a great job - the right man in the right place. Interesting that today, Luttwitz' seeking of the Bastogne garrison's surrender is seen as probably the 'largest German psychological blunder of the campaign' ( Winton, 'Corps Commanders Of The Bulge' ). Luttwitz was under great pressure to both eliminate the defence of Bastogne and also to advance Westward - possibly thinking of the surrender at the Schnee Eifel, he was hoping for a quick, cheap victory.

"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson 40 posts Posted 13 December 2010 - 02:28 PM apparently, the local town of Bastonge is quite famous for the quality of the nuts that it produces. Locals were mystified by McAuliffe's response, not being familiar with American expletives. They assumed that Gen. McAuliffe was, actually, referring to the local 'nuts'. It's difficult to say just what the response of the German Commanders may have been; they were more than likely mystified by the colorful response just as the Belgians were. I read that the term was explained to the initially-mystified German commander in clear, unequivocal terms. "Regret trouble I am causing you." -- George Patton to Dwight Eisenhower, November 25, 1943 Anthony McAuliffe - Wikiquote Anthony McAuliffe Jump to: navigation , search NUTS!

Anthony McAuliffe ( 2 July 1898 – 11 August 1975 ) was the United States Army general who was the acting division commander of the 101st Airborne Division troops defending Bastogne, Belgium, during World War II's Battle of the Bulge , famous for his single-word reply of "Nuts!" in response to a German surrender ultimatum. This article about a military figure is a stub . You can help Wikiquote by expanding it . We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne we assure the success of the Allied Armies. "To the German commander. Nuts! From the American commander." His famous reply to the German demand for surrender of the surrounded US 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge (22 December 1944), as quoted in Bastogne : The Story of the First Eight Days In Which the 101st Airborne Division Was Closed Within the Ring of German Forces (1946) by Colonel S. L. A. Marshal, Ch. 14 ; delivering the message Colonel Joseph H. Harper was asked "What does that mean?

… Is this affirmative or negative?" and replied "Definitely not affirmative." Allied Troops are counterattacking in force. We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne we assure the success of the Allied Armies. We know that our Division Commander, General Taylor, will say: Well Done! We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas. Colonel Gaston Bell: "Nuts!" Patton: [laughing] Keep them moving, colonel. A man that eloquent has to be saved. Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North , in Patton (1970) , depicting Patton leading three divisions towards Bastogne. On Dec. 22, four German couriers approached American lines under a flag of truce, carrying a message "from the German commander to the American commander." Asserting that Bastogne was "encircled," the note gave McAuliffe, who was acting commander of the 101st in the absence of Maj. Gen.

Maxwell Taylor, two hours to surrender or face "total annihilation." It offered "the privileges of the Geneva Convention" to the would-be POWs. What came next would be one of World War II's seminal moments. As [Vincent] Vicari, McAuliffe's personal aide, recalls it 60 years later, "General Mac read the note and said, 'Aw, nuts.' Then he asked, 'What should I tell them?' " Lt. Col. Harry W. O. Kinnard , the division operations officer, said, "Why not tell them what you just said?" "What did I just say?" "You said, 'Nuts,' " Kinnard replied. McAuliffe scribbled a reply: From the American commander." He handed the message to Lt. Col. Joseph Harper , who had escorted the couriers. To the Germans who didn't understand the Yankee colloquialism, Harper explained: "It means the same thing as 'Go to hell.' " While World War II historian Barry Turner says McAuliffe's one-word riposte "lost something in translation," others have speculated that "nuts" might be a sanitized version of what the tough paratroop general actually said.

Not so, Vicari says. "General Mac was the only general I ever knew who did not use profane language," he said in a telephone interview. " 'Nuts' was part of his normal vocabulary." Christmas 1944: When U.S. Troops Said ‘Nuts!’ to the Enemy Christmas 1944: When U.S. Troops Said ‘Nuts!’ to the Enemy By Pete Winn | December 24, 2010 | 4:05 AM EST The 101st Airborne troops move out of Bastogne, after having been besieged there for ten days, to drive the enemy out of the surrounding district. Belgium 12/31/44. (Photo courtesy U.S. Army) (CNSNews.com) - Christmas 1944 – 66 years ago -- was a difficult time for U.S. It came in the midst of the famous Battle of the Bulge, the last-ditch major German offensive in which the German High Command threw thousands of tanks and troops into what was perceived to be the weak point in the Allied lines, deep in the Ardennes region of northeastern France .

It turned out to be one of our finest moments. Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, in an attempt to hold the critical road intersection at Bastogne , Belgium , had rushed in the famous "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division to reinforce previously ploaced armored units. The tanks and soldiers of the German Army, however, completely surrounded the U.S. forces in Bastogne and laid siege to the town. It was one of the coldest winters on record. On Dec. 22, three days before Christmas, the Germans sent a party of four -- a major, a captain and two enlisted men -- up the road to Bastogne carr ying a large white flag, bringing a demand from the Nazi commander for the Allied troops to surrender. They were met on the road by U.S. troops, were blindfolded, and taken to one of the U.S. commander, Gen.

Anthony McAuliffe, replied to the demand with just one word: “Nuts.” Two days later, on Christmas Eve, McAuliffe issued this message to his men: “Headquarters 101st Airborne Division “Office of the Division Commander “24 December 1944 “What’s merry about all this, you ask? We’re fighting, it’s cold, we aren’t home. All true, but what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades of the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion and all the rest? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the North, East, South and West. We have identifications from four German Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions and one German Parachute Division. These units, spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were headed straight west for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in history; not alone in our Division’s glorious history but in World history. The Germans actually did surround us. Their radios blared our doom.

Their Commander demanded our surrender in the following impudent arrogance: ‘December 22nd 1944 Hubert by passing through Hombres Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note. ‘If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A.A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. Troops in and near Bastogne . The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term. ‘All the serious civilian losses caused by this Artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity. (signed) ‘The German Commander’ “The German Commander received the following reply: ‘22 December 1944 “Allied Troops are counterattacking in force. We continue to hold Bastogne . By holding Bastogne we assure the success of the Allied Armies. We know that our Division Commander, General Taylor, will say: Well Done!

“We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas. A.C. McAuliffe” * * * “The United States Army in World War II,” the official history published by the U.S. Army Center of Military History on the U.S. Army Heritage Web site, reports what happened at Bastogne on Dec. 22 this way: “Major Alvin Jones took the terms to General McAuliffe and Lieutenant Colonel Ned D. Moore, who was acting Chief of Staff. The paper called for the surrender of the Bastogne garrison and threatened its complete destruction otherwise. “It appealed to the ‘Well known American humanity’ to save the people of Bastogne from further suffering. The Americans were to have two hours in which to consider. The two enemy officers would have to be released by 1400 but another hour would pass before the Germans would resume their attack. “Colonel Harper, commanding the 327th, went with Jones to Division Headquarters. The two German officers were left with Captain Adams. Members of the staff were grouped around General McAuliffe when Harper and Jones arrived.

McAuliffe asked someone what the paper contained and was told that it requested a surrender. “He laughed and said, ‘Aw, nuts!’ It really seemed funny to him at the time. He figured he was giving the Germans ‘one hell of a beating’ and that all of his men knew it. The demand was all out of line with the existing situation. “But McAuliffe realized that some kind of reply had to be made and he sat down to think it over. Pencil in hand, he sat there pondering for a few minutes and then he remarked, ‘Well, I don't know what to tell them.’ He asked the staff what they thought and Colonel Kinnard, his G-3 [third in command] replied, "That first remark of yours would be hard to beat." “General McAuliffe didn't understand immediately what Kinnard was referring to. Kinnard reminded him, ‘You said 'Nuts!’ That drew applause all around. All members of the staff agreed with much enthusiasm and because of their approval McAuliffe decided to send that message back to the Germans. “Then he called Colonel Harper in and asked him how he would reply to the message.

Harper thought for a minute but before he could compose anything General McAuliffe gave him the paper on which he had written his one-word reply and asked, ‘Will you see that it's delivered?’ ‘I will deliver it myself,’ answered Harper. ‘It will be a lot of fun.’ McAuliffe told him not to go into the German lines. “Colonel Harper returned to the command post of Company F. The two Germans were standing in the wood blindfolded and under guard. Harper said, ‘I have the American commander's reply.’ “The German captain asked, ‘Is it written or verbal?’ “‘It is written,’ said Harper. And then he said to the German major, ‘I will stick it in your hand.’ “The German captain translated the message. The major then asked, ‘Is the reply negative or affirmative? If it is the latter I will negotiate further.’ “All of this time the Germans were acting in an upstage and patronizing manner. Colonel Harper was beginning to lose his temper. He said, ‘The reply is decidedly not affirmative.’ Then he added, "If you continue this foolish attack your losses will be tremendous." The major nodded his head.

“Harper put the two officers in the jeep and took them back to the main road where the German privates were waiting with the white flag. “He then removed the blindfold and said to them, speaking through the German captain, ‘If you don't understand what “Nuts” means, in plain English it is the same as “Go to hell.” And I will tell you something else -- if you continue to attack we will kill every goddam German that tries to break into this city.’ “The German major and captain saluted very stiffly. The captain said, ‘We will kill many Americans. This is war.’ It was then 1350.10 “‘On your way, Bud,’ said Colonel Harper, ‘and good luck to you.’ “The four Germans walked on down the road. Harper returned to the house, regretting that his tongue had slipped and that he had wished them good luck.” Surrender? Nuts! | Pieces of History Pieces of History Posted on November 3, 2014 by jessiekratz Exhibition Hall of the National Archives with the German Surrender Documents exhibition, 1945.

(National Archives History Office) On Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allied Forces at the end of World War II. That same day in the United States, President Harry S. Truman issued a proclamation announcing the war in Europe had ended. Soon after, Archivist of the United States Solon Buck and President Truman, decided that the German surrender documents and the V-E Day proclamation should be shared with the American people as symbols of democracy and freedom. Less than a month later, on June 6—the one year anniversary of D-Day—the National Archives held a ceremony in the Rotunda to open an exhibit of the surrender documents. In attendance was U.S. Army General Anthony McAuliffe. McAuliffe was the acting division commander of the 101st Airborne Division troops, who just six months before, defended Bastogne, Belgium, during World War II’s Battle of the Bulge. There he famously replied “Nuts!” to German demands that the U.S. force surrender to Germany. General McAuliffe Unveils the German Surrender Documents in the Rotunda of the National Archives, June 6, 1945.

(National Archives Identifier 4477175 ) During the unveiling ceremony, which was broadcast by radio, McAuliffe remarked that the documents were a testament that “the American soldier, bound to a just cause, and backed by the labor and industry of America, can and will overcome any evil force on earth no matter how strong, or how long in power.” In September, the German surrender documents were officially transferred to the National Archives. Due to the high demand for reproductions, the National Archives printed the German surrender documents in a facsimile publication, Germany Surrenders Unconditionally, which became a bestseller. In celebration of Veterans Day and in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the National Archives is presenting a document display of Gen. Anthony McAuliffe’s Christmas message to his men besieged in Bastogne, Belgium. The December 24, 1944, message recounts McAuliffe’s famous reply of “Nuts!” to the German demand to surrender. The documents will be on display in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives in Washington, DC, from November 4, 2014 to January 5, 2015.

Bastogne: Town was 'nuts' even before McAuliffe's celebrated response - News - Stripes Bastogne: Town was 'nuts' even before McAuliffe's celebrated response By KEVIN DOUGHERTY | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 19, 2004 BASTOGNE, Belgium — Forgive the people of Bastogne for being a bit nutty this weekend. For starters, hundreds of American World War II veterans came to town to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the single biggest battle ever fought on the Western Front. Belgians deeply appreciate the Americans who liberated them from Nazi Germany, and then beat back the massive counteroffensive launched six decades ago. Then there is the tale of U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe and his famous one-word reply to a German general’s surrender demand: “Nuts!” “We were actually discussing that,” Air Force Senior Airman Ben Secrest, from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, said of the story as he stood in the town square named after McAuliffe.

“I don’t really know the story.” But what even more people don’t know is that Bastogne had a thing for nuts well before McAuliffe and his men rolled into town. Back in the 18th century, farmhands, cow tenders and shepherds would flock to Bastogne for the annual Nut Fair, the last fair of the season. It was here they would look for work for the coming year. If successful, the man would buy sweet breads and nuts for his girlfriend or fiancée, which represented a token of his affection and capacity to provide for her. Today the festival is much more about tradition than labor. On Saturday, as is the custom every year, handfuls of walnuts — now imported from California — were thrown from a town hall balcony to the crowd below. The king of Belgium, a granddaughter of Gen. George S. Patton Jr., and a couple of U.S. war veterans had the honors this year. Guadalupe Flores Jr., an 80-year-old veteran of the battle, wasn’t on the balcony Saturday, but he was in the Bastogne during the siege as a member of the 101st Airborne Division.

“I happened to be in the area when the Germans came asking us to surrender,” Flores said, as he recounted the scene, which featured four German men waving a makeshift white flag. Carl Dalke was also in the area for the nutty exchange on Dec. 22, 1944, between McAuliffe and the German commander, Gen. Heinrich von Luettwitz. “The Germans wanted to know what the phrase ‘nuts’ was all about,” Dalke said. “McAuliffe was basically telling them to ‘go to hell.’ The Germans tried to send us there Christmas Eve, but we stopped them.” Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, one of the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge, as EUCOM commander-in-chief in 1955. Ted Rohde / S&S file photo article continues below

Question: What was the famous one-word reply of General McAuliffe of the US to a German demand for surrender during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII?
Answer: """Nuts!"""